Latch means



Dec. l29 1950 G. E. DATH 2,533,360

' LATCH MEANS Filed Feb. 3, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet l lnT/QTL/o? Geggge E Da/Z/h.

@WMLL Dec. 12, 1950 G. E. DATH 2,533,360

LATCH MEANS Filed Feb. 3, 1947 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1li/Q 5 [3544?45//6' ,37 27]v mk \I\ /8 a 19 42 4 o ai gqfgz i 44 InVen/J/or: i

Ge/Ojge M.

G. E. DATH LATCH MEANS Dec. 12, E950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. '3, 1947 im@ f SLL Nif!! `Patented Dec l2, 1950 ,.TENT, GFF-ICB LATCH MEANS 1 George il. Bath, 'Mairena Ill., assigner .tofl'ikli. Miner, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation oiilela-- Application February 3, 1947, Serial No. 726,668;

l Claim. 1p This invention relates to improvements in latch means, and morev particularly to latches forlockingthe operating lever. handles of rotary door fasteners in fixed position.

0.11i Object of 'the invention'isto provide simplejand eflicient latch means for automatically lo'ckingmthe handle -lever of a vrotary operating barof 'a fastener for hinged doors in iixed position when the doors are fastened in closed condition vand which may be readily released by gripping the hand grip portion of the handle lever` inthe operation of forcing the door open.

A @more specien object of the invention is to prov-idea inechanismascset forth -in the preceding `paragraph, wherein the latch means includes a spring pressed latch bolt carried by the operating-handle lever engageable with a fixed keeper tolock the handle lever inlposition, and wherein the spring pressed bolt is disengageable from the keeper by means on the operating handle lever actuated through pressure exerted. by .the oper.. ators hand in gripping the hand gripportionof the'handle leven Othery objectsof the invention will more clearly appearfrom thedescription and claims here-r inafter..following.

ln -thedrawings forming a part of this speci: lication,-Fgurel isa rear elevational, view of the body-of an automobile truck having hinged doors provided with a door fastener of the rotary vbar type, illustrating my improved latch means in connection therewith. Figure 2 is a broken elefv vatonaltvievvglon` an enlarged scale, corresponding to Figure l, showing the structure at the left hand end of thernid portion of the right hand door. f Figure 3 is a horizontal sectionalvview, corresponding substantially-to the line 3-.3 of Figure2. Figure 4 isa view, similar to FigureB, showing thepartsin a dilierent position. Figure 5 is a-plan View of theoperating handle-lever of the door fastener illustrated in Figures il to 4 inclusive. Fig-ure is a planview of the sliding latchibolt. c Figure '7 is a side elevational view of Figure 6, looking downwardly in said ligure. Fig-- ure- 8 lisa .plan `-viewof thel bolt retracting lever member of the improved latch means.Y Figure 9-is a view, similar to Figure 2, illustrating anotherexnbodirnent ofthe invention. Figure 10 is ya horizontal sectional View, Corresponding Asubstantiallyto theline ill-lil of Figure 9. Figure llis a horizontal sectional viev/,von an enlarged scale, corresponding substantially to lthe line I I-I I of, Figure-9, said` view ubeing partly broken away-. I4 vFigli-lie 121s a side elevational view of the beltretrainalever .Qf .malatehmeansshowu in 2 Figures 9, V10, and 11. Figure v13 is a sideeleva4 tionalI View of thelatch bolt showniirFigures 9, 1G, and l1.

In ,said drawings, vI indcatesthe end wall ,ofI an automobile truck,l and-ILthe door.,opening of said Wall, .which isclosedby hinged doors I2 and I3 secured by the door fastener lll, whichis mounted on the door .I2 and is `of -theiwe'llknown rotary bar type, comprisinga rotary operating bar l5 having keeper engaging crankr members lli-l 6, at thetop and bottom ends cooperating with the usual xed keepers, andnan operating ,c handle lever-ii for rotating the bar.- The ,doorl`2 isbf well-known design and is provided with, a pocket iii in the outer wall thereof into -whichthe han: dle lever `I lswings.

Referring iirst to the .embodimentl of the Line vention illustrated in lFigures 1 to 8 inclusivemy improved latch means comprises broadlva fixed keeperA, va sliding latch bolt B,a leve1 member C forretracting lthe latch bolt, and .a spring D forV projecting the bolt.

In carrying out theinvention asillusltrated inv Figures 1 to.8 inclusive, I provide theoperating handle lever, which is of .channel-shaped, 'transverse cross section, with a `relatively short, lver-l tically disposed, lengthwise `extending rwall por?. tion I9 on 4the outer side 'at thefhand grip por,- tion .2S thereof, which is parallelto the yweb 'ill ofthe channel-shaped lever. The wallj2i`,.,theV web 2 I, and the top and bottom flanges 22 'and 23,

of the leverl'i togetherjdene a guideway 2'4o`f.

substantially rectangular cross sectionfor the bolt B. The web 2 I is provided with an opening 25 therethrough, whichA is located beyond Vthe inner end of the guideway 24 and isarranged to accommodate the outer. end portion of thle keeper. A when the handle lever is swung to itsinner-e most position, as shown in Figure 3. At ythe lhand grip end 20 of the lever, thewebiZI, which forms the back Wall ofthe channel-shaped lever, is cut away, or interrupted, as indicatedat 26, to accommodate the bolt retracting lever member C.

The ykeeper Ais in the form of an outstanding post on the rear Wall21 of the pocket I8 of .the door` I2 and has a hooked outer end 2,8 .with which the latch boltB is engageable.v

The latch bo1t`B is in the form of an elongated slidingnblock `mounted on the guideway 2d. The bolt B has a beveled front endportion .2tengageable .with the hooked end 28 of the keeper-A. At the inner or rear end, the -boltr B is reduced in thickness, thereby ,providing Aa rearwardly extending stemvorcshank portion 3D `and a shoulder.-

3I at the point wherethe stem mergesgwithgthe 3 main body portion of the bolt. The face or surface portion of the shoulder 3| is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the bolt, as clearly shown in Figure 3, and forms an abutment for the end of the spring D. At the extremity of the stem or shank 30, the bolt is provided with an inturned lug 32 with which the lever member C cooperates.

The bolt retracting lever member C is in the form of a channel-shaped arm having a lengthwise extending web 33 and top and bottom flanges 34 and 35. The flanges 34 and 35 embrace the top and bottom sides of the hand grip end 20 of the lever I'I and the web 33 terminates short of the inner end of the channel-shaped arm, as shown most clearly in Figures 3 and 4. At the inner end of the Web 33, the flanges 34 and 35 of the channel-shaped arm are provided with rear- Wardly projecting pivoted ears 36, which engage over the top and bottom of a rearwardly projecting pivot lug 3l on the lever Il, the lever member C being pivotally supported on this lug by a pin 38 extending through the ears and the lug. Beyond the pivoted ears 36-35, the ilanges 34 and 35 are braced by a 'vertical connecting end wall 39. The web 33 of the lever member C has an inward enlargement at its inner end, as indicated at 4I, and this thickened portion presents an inclined spring abutment face 42 for the spring D opposed to the face of the shoulder 3l of the bolt B. The inward enlargement 4I has a laterally extending lug or finger 43 projecting from the inner side thereof, which engages with the lug 32 of the bolt to retract the latter when the lever is swung inwardly.

The spring D, which comprises a small helical coil, is interposed between the shoulder 3| of the bolt B and the abutment face 42 of the lever member C and is preferably held centered by pro jecting bosses 44-44 on the shoulder and abutment face which engage within the ends of the spring. The spring D, which reacts between the bolt B and the lever member C, normally holds the bolt projected, as shown in Figure 3.

The operation of my improved latch means, illustrated in Figures 1 to 8 inclusive, is as follows: In actuating the operating lever I! of the door fastener to force the door closed, the same is swung inwardly toward the door into the pocket I8 to the position shown in Figure 3. As the lever is thus swung inwardly, the hooked end of the keeper A passes through the opening 25 of the lever and is engaged by the latch bolt B, which cams over the outer end of the keeper which is provided with a beveled end face 4U cooperating with the beveled end of the bolt. When the lever reaches the position shown in Figure 3, the spring pressed bolt B snaps into engagement with the hooked portion of the lever to automatically lock the latter in fixed position. T unlock the lever I1, the latch bolt B is disengaged from the keeper by retracting the same through pressure applied to the lever member C, the attendant gripping the hand grip end of the operating lever I1 and, in gripping the same, applying pressure to the lever member C to swing the same toward the lever Il, thereby swinging the lug 43 against the lug 32 of the bolt to slide the latter toward the right, as seen in Figure 3, to the retracted position shown in Figure 4.

Referring next to the embodiment of the invention illustrated in Figures 9 to 13 inclusive, the improved latch means comprises broadly a keeper E, a sliding latch bolt F, a bolt retracting lever member G, and a Spring H.

In carrying out the invention, as shown in Figures 9 to 13 inclusive, I provide an operating lever Ill' for the door fastener, which lever is of channel-shaped cross section and is the equivalent of the lever I'I hereinbefore described. The lever I I1 has an opening 45 similar to the opening 25 of the lever I1 and adapted to provide a passage for the projecting keeper E. The channelshaped lever I I1 has the hand grip portion thereof, which is indicated by 46, provided with rearwardly projecting, lengthwise extending, horizontal, top and bottom flanges 41--4'L The anges 41-41 extend from the outer extremity of the hand grip to the opening 45 and have the inner edges of the portions thereof, immediately adjacent the opening, connected by a vertically disposed, lengthwise extending web 48, which is outwardly offset at the end thereof remote from the opening 45, providing a curved lip 49. The lip 49 forms a stop for the lever member G hereinafter more fully described. The straight portion of the web 48, the top and bottom anges 41-4'I, and the vertical web of the hand grip proper, which web is indicated by 50, form a guideway for the inner end portion of the bolt F.

The keeper E is of substantially the same design as the keeper A hereinbefore described, having a hooked end 5I provided with a cam face 52 at the extremity thereof adapted to cooperate with the bolt F.

The bolt F has a head 53 at its outer end of substantially rectangular cross section, adapted to engage with the hooked end of the keeper E, the end face of the head being beveled, as indicated at 54, to cooperate With the cam face 52 of the keeper. Rearwardly extending from the head 53, the bolt is reduced in size, providing a shank portion 55, which is enlarged at its rear end, as indicated at 58. The enlargement 56 has a wedge face 51 on its inner Side for a purpose hereinafter pointed out.

The lever member G, which is in the form of an elongated arm or ngerpiece, is swingingly supported between the top and bottom ilanges 4'1-41, being pivotally connected to the hand grip 46 at the end of the latter by a pin 58 extending through the enlargement 59 at the corresponding end of the member G. The enlargement 59 presents a transverse abutment face 69 at its inner side on which the end of the spring H bears. At the opposite end, the arm of the lever member G is provided with a laterally. inwardly extending enlargement or head SI, having a wedge face 52 at its rear side engaging the wedge face 5'! oi the bolt. The head portion 6I of the lever member G is overhung by the lip 49 of the web 48 of the hand grip portion of the lever I Il and has its movement away from the lever II'i limited thereby. Between the ends thereof, the anges 41-4'1 are suitably' cut away, as indicated at 63, to render the member G accessible for operation, that is, to be pressed inwardly.

The spring H, is in the form of a helical coil interposed between the inner end of the bolt F and the abutment face 60 of the lever member G and holds the bolt yieldingly projected.

The operation of the improved latch means shown in Figures 9 to 13 inclusive is similar t0 the operation of the latch means hereinbefore described in connection with Figures l to 8 inclusive, with the exception that the bolt F is withdrawn from engagement with the keeper E by camming action between the wedge faces 51 5 and 62 of the bolt and the swinging lever member G.

I claim:

arm inwardly of the pivot thereof, said lug being U5 engaged with the lug of said bolt to retract the latter when the arm is swung laterally toward said hand grip portion, said arm having a spring abutment face at the base of the lug thereof;

and a spring bearing at opposite ends on said spring abutment of the bolt and abutment face of said arm, and reacting between said bolt and arm to project the former to latching position.

GEORGE E. DATH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the A` file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS A Number Name Date 532,395 Ridelle Jan. 8, 1895 1,442,830 Schneider Jan. 23, 1923 1,993,002 Glaser Mar. 5, 1935 2,294,002 Saunders Aug. 25, 1942 i. 2,322,892 Springer June 29, 1943 v2,354,608 Orshansky July 25, 1944 

